The death bringer
by forestspirit101
Summary: When two demons, Shikyo and Lindsay help Nettlebrand in his hunt they will change the story we now as Dragon rider. Will their presence lead Nettlebrand to success or will they join Ben and his friends. Either way Shikyo might have plans of her own.
1. Chapter 1

The Demons

**The Demons**

All was still in the valley of the dragons. Mist had drifted in from the sea nearby and was clinging to the mountains. Birds twittered uncertainly in the foggy damp, and clouds hid the sun. But that's not where this story begins, it begins where all is dark and plants and trees wither into dust, where no life is heard, and the sky is always filled with dark clouds. Sunlight was never seen there. This dark and dreary valley was called the death valley. And only two creatures resided there. Demons.

They looked mostly human, one with flaming red eyes and long red hair. The other had cold hard black eyes and long black hair. Both were female.

The demon with red eyes whore all blue and the demon with black eyes whore all black. This demon let off dark death and misery.

The two girls looked around the age of 14. Sitting on a rocky ledge they stared out across their home.

"So Lindsay." Said the dark, dry voice of the black demon turning to the other demon. "We're going to have something to do pretty soon."

Lindsay looked at her in surprise. "Why do you think that Shikyo?"

Shikyo stared out across the ashy wasteland and replied. "Doesn't matter why I think it, I just know. Come on."

Large black bat like wings drew forth from her back. She spread them and leapt into the air. Lindsay turned into a raven and flew after her.

"O look, a dragon." Shikyo said with no apparent interest.

"Where?! Let me see!" Lindsay exclaimed pushing past her and peering through the bushes into a small clearing with a silver dragon, brownie, human, and four dwarves. The dragon was sleeping.

"That human boy looks kinda cute." Lindsay giggled.

Shikyo rolled her eyes. "Don't get attached to him."

She turned around to look at her friend. "Why."

"Cause I have a feeling him and his friends are going to get mixed up in something that might have them die." Shikyo said then slowly walked away fallowed by Lindsay.

The two girls looked down a stairway leading into a dark room of a ruined castle.

"Just as suspected." Muttered the black demon.

Meanwhile as you must have read-

Twigleg sighed. "Soon after his creation, the magnificent, invincible, ever-shining Nettlebrand, the golden one, set out to…"

"To remove all other dragons from existence." Finished a dark, dry, female voice.

Nettlebrand whipped his head around in surprise to find two teenage girls standing against his hall.

"And personally." Continued the one with black hair and cold piercing black eyes, slowly walking toward them. "You should have reached for a higher goal. One species gone isn't good enough for me." She stared up into the large golden dragon's red eyes.

Nettlebrand met her eyes but found that as he did he felt a sudden dark, horrible, dread.

"Shikyo?" he growled.

She didn't answer, instead she looked away from him and down at Twigleg.

"I see you're still here Twigleg-kun."

He gazed up at her, amazed that he could even meet her eyes.

Looking back up at Nettlebrand she said. "You shine to much for my liking. You should stop getting your armor-cleaner here to stop polishing it so much."

The large dragon growled.

Shikyo broke into a smirk. She found his anger very much amusing. She and went on. "By the way you're hunt is about to start again."

Nettlebrand's anger faded into alarm.

"Excuse me!" Lindsay blurted.

Shikyo turned around.

"You're not filling me in here." The demon complained. "Who is this?"

They were interrupted when a raven hopped down the steps with a dwarf on it's back. The dwarf held on to his hat tightly, his face was red with excitement. When the raven reached the foot of the steps the dwarf hastily climbed off of the bird, walked toward Nettlebrand, then prostrated himself flat on the floor in front of him.

Shikyo and Linsday raised an eyebrow.

"What do you want?" asked Twigleg's master grumpily.

"I've seen one." Uttered the dwarf, without raising his face from the floor. "I've seen one, Your Goldness."

"Seen one what?"

"A dragon." Shikyo replied for him.

Nettlebrand stared at her with shock clear on his face. The dwarf raised his head from the floor to stare at her in surprise.

"How did you know?" he asked.

"We saw you in the clearing with the other dwarves, and the dragon, human, and brownie." Lindsay answered.

The dwarf stood up and looked back at the golden dragon and nodded. Nettlebrand turned around to look at a tapestry hanging on the wall woven by humans hundreds of years ago. It's colors were faded, but in the darkness you could make out what it showed-knights hunting a silver dragon.

"A silver dragon." Said the golden dragon to himself. He turned to face the dwarf and two demons. "Where?"

"On our mountain." Stuttered the dwarf, straitening up. "He landed there this mourning. With a brownie and a human. I flew straight here on the raven to tell you. Will you give me one of your golden scales now?"

"Quiet!" growled Nettlebrand. "I must think."

"But you promised!" cried the dwarf.

Twigleg pushed him aside. "Quiet stupid!" he hissed. "Haven't you got any sense under that big hat of yours? You can count yourself lucky if he doesn't eat you."

"Nettlebrand." The large dragon turned to the black demon. "I came here for a reason, I came to give you some help."

He growled. "I don't need any help in hunting!"

Shikyo laughed scornfully. "You failed last time, you'll probably fail again."

Nettlebrand took a step toward the demon growling menacingly. She took no notice and went on.

"You're too over confident. All you have is strength. You have neither a smart mind or the patience to win. I only offer my power because you have the ambition while I usually have no care to bother myself with other living beings. This is my opportunity to take one species out of existence, and maybe after that I'll have the care to take every other race too."

"Yep." Sighed Lindsay. "She's still bloodthirsty."

"I am not bloodthirsty." Argued Shikyo.

"Yes you are."

"Okay you're right I am."


	2. Chapter 2

The Demons

**The Spy**

An image of Twigleg appeared before Nettlebrand.

"At last." He growled at Twigleg. "Where've you been all this time?"

"Doing what you've told him to do you impatient snob." Said Lindsay.

Nettlebrand whipped around and growled taking a step toward her. She just smirked at his rage.

"It's not wise to attack a demon." Shikyo warned. "We tend to kill anyone whom we desire to die. Just listen to what Twigleg has to say."

He turned back to his armor cleaner angrily. "So what did you find out?"

"A dragon did land here. Silver as moonlight and much smaller then you, but definitely a dragon."

"See?" said Gravelbeard, so excited that he dropped the brush. "I found him for you! I did it! Will you give me my scale now? Maybe even two scales?"

"Shut your gob!" Nettlebrand snapped at him. "Or I'll give you a spectacular close up view of the golden filling in my teeth! Carry on cleaning!"

Gravelbeard slid off the dragon's back in alarm and retrieved the brush. Nettlebrand addressed his old armor cleaner again. "Tell me what you've found out about him! Are there any more of his kind where he comes from?"

"Yes." Replied Twigleg.

Nettlebrand's eyes were gleaming. "Aah!" he sighed. "At last! At last I can go hunting again." He bared his teeth. "Where do I find them?"

"Er, well." Twigleg hunched his head between his shoulders. "I don't exactly know master."

"You don't know?" Nettlebrand bellowed so loud that Gravelbread fell headfirst off his back.

"There hiding in Scotland." Interrupted Shikyo casually.

"They are?" asked Lindsay. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It wasn't important at the moment."

Lindsay folded her arms and pouted.

"The dragon and his friends are searching for the rim of heaven." Twigleg went on.

Nettlebrand straitened up and stood motionless. His red eyes were turned to Twigleg's direction but he was looking right through him. Gravelbeard knocked the dent out of his hat and climbed back up the spiny tail, swearing.

The homunculus cleared his throat. "Er-do you know where it is?" he asked quietly.

Nettlebrand was still looking strait through him. "No one knows where it is." He growled at last but then was interrupted again by Shikyo.

"Do I count as a no one?" she asked dryly.

"You know everything, don't you?" said Lindsay. "But your not going to tell them right?"

The black demon shook her head. "I'm going to see how Nettlebrand handles this."

The golden dragon glared at her with his red eyes.

Turning to him she smiled and said. "I will not tell you exactly where they are for now, so you can either search for the dragons in Scotland or fallow that other one and his friends and see if they can find the rim of heaven for you."

Nettlebrand studied the demon for one last time. "Twigleg!"

The homunculus jumped in alarm. "Yes master?"

"You must follow them." Ordered Nettlebrand. "You must follow him until he leads us to the others-either the dragons he's looking for or the dragons he left behind."

"Me?" Twigleg beat his thin chest pitifully. "But why me master? Aren't you coming too?"

Nettlebrand hissed. "I'm not planning to run my paws off till they're sore again. You'll report to me every evening. Every evening without fail, do you hear? And when he's found the rim of heaven I'll join."

"But how master?" asked Twigleg.

"I have powers at which you cannot even guess."

"Just don't forget who gave you those powers." Said Shikyo.

Nettlebrand narrowed his eyes at her.

Ignoring him she turned to Lindsay and said. "Lindsay you will accompany Twigleg."

The red demon clapped her hands cheerfully.

"Just try not to get too involved with the human." The black demon said.

"Oky doky!" then without another word Lindsay transformed into a hawk and beckoned Twigleg to hop on. Then she flew off.

"Living beings." Shikyo sighed.

Gravelbeard frowned at her and asked. "Living?"

She turned to him and replied. "Technically I'm neither alive or dead."

The dwarf stared at her in shock with wide eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

The Demons

**The Storm**

The mountain dwarves had long since fallen asleep in their caves when Firedrake prepared to set off. This time Ben clambered on his back to sit in front, holding his compass. He had spent hours studying the rat's map, memorizing every detail: the mountains around which they would fly, the rivers they should fallow, the cities they had better avoid. First they had to go several hundred kilometers farther south, and head toward the Mediterranean. If they were in luck they'd land on its shores before dawn.

With a few powerful wing-beats the dragon rose into the air. The sky was clear above the mountains. The waxing moon hung bright among a thousand stars, and only a light wind blew toward them. The world was so silent that Ben could hear Sorrel munching a mushroom beside him. Firedrake's wings rushed through the cool air.

When they had left the mountains behind them Ben turned to take one last look at the black peak. For a moment he thought he saw a large bird in the darkness with a tiny figure sitting on its back.

"Sorrel." He whispered. "Look behind you. Can you see something?"

Sorrel put down the mushroom she was nibbling and looked over her shoulder. "Nothing to worry about." She said.

"But it could be a raven?" Ben whispered hoarsely. "The rat warned us about ravens, didn't he? And isn't there a something sitting on it?"

"Yes there is." Sorrel returned to her mushroom. "That's why there's no need to worry. It's an elf. Elves love flying in the moonlight. And besides it isn't a raven, it's a hawk."

"Lindsey." Twigleg hissed. "I think that boy and brownie have spotted us."

"I know that." She hissed back. "I can see yah know." The demon then flew down lower into the darkness till she knew they were out of sight.

"Maybe we should say hi or something." She suggested.

"What?!" exclaimed Twigleg. "Are you joking?!"

"Well, they have no reason to be suspicious of us and besides I really, really, really want to meet that human kid. Please Twigleg. Pretty please."

The homunculi sighed as he knew that this would go on for a while.

Back at the ruined castle Shikyo was in the library reading books. After finishing her tenth she layed it down and looked around the room stacked full with books.

"Wow. Twigleg must be pretty bored. Living for three hundred years with only four thousand books to read."

Walking over to a shelf with books made in midevil time she found one that interested her.

"Hey look. One about me." the demon took a black book that read The demon of death. She flipped open the cover to the first page.

From a shelf behind Shikyo Gravelbeard gasped as he saw the cover and whispered to himself.

"The death demon. She's the demon of death?"

The girl suddenly answered his suspicions without looking away from the book.

"Yes. I am the death demon." She then closed the book and placed it back on the shelf.

"But sometimes," she continued, "a certain someone seems to forget that." At that statement she turned her head to the dark coarder where two red eyes watched her.

Realizing the demon girl knew he was there Nettlebrand stepped into the room, his eyes narrowed down at her.

Turning her attention back to the shelf of books as if he had no significance to her, which is exactly the way she felt.

The golden dragon growled threatening at her.

"I am the strongest being who has ever lived, it seems you have forgotten that!"

Shikyo's laugh was filled with mirth as she turned to him.

"You idiot. How many times will I have to drive this into your ignorant head. There are creatures that go way past your level of power and strength. We demons care for nothing of the insignificance of any other creature on the earth, so rarely do we show ourselves, but we are still here. Don't forget that."

"You're kind should count as extinct." Nettlebrand shot back.

"It's true there are few of use but we'll kill anyone, any army with ease." She took a step closer to the dragon. "And don't forget I am the strongest of them all."

Her dark, cold, eyes could petrify anyone who dared to challenge her.

Fallowing the dragon had been easy enough for Lindsay but once they had reached the Syrian coast the wind blowing toward them was growing stronger and stronger. Her wings were getting tired and there was no point in trying to avoid it, for the wind was everywhere. Thunder boomed overhead and lightning lit up the dark sky.

"Lindsay!" Twigleg called to her. "We lost the dragon! Just set down to wait out this storm! You can't go any farther!"

"No!" the demon assured him. "I can keep going! This is nothing! I can handle it!"

She knew the homunculus wasn't buying it and in truth she wasn't buying it either. Suddenly a powerful gust tore all control she had from herself and threw it into the depths belong. The wind tossed the hawk and her rider through the dark clouds. Both yelled in shock and fear as they plummeted down and out of the gloom a large rock appeared out of nowhere. Before she could react Lindsay was flung against the bolder, hitting her head.

Before she lost consciousness she thought. Well, I guess this little adventure won't be boring.


	4. Chapter 4

The Demons

**Captured**

As you all should known if you've read the original book, Firedrake, Ben, and Sorrel landed on the shores of Egypt during the storm. Firedrake hid in a cave as he slept while the other two had to cover up his tracks. Sorrel got caught by humans though and now it's up to Ben to save her.

Alright! On with the story!

There was hardly anyone in or around the big tents when Ben slipped into camp. Most of the people staying there were out in the ruins, freeing ancient walls from the sand in the morning heat and dreaming of secret burial chambers where mummies slept. Ben looked longingly past the tents to the place marked out by ropes where the excavation site lay. It must be a thrill to climb down the ruined stairways where the archeologists were scraping desert sand off the steps.

The sound of exited voices brought Ben out of his dreams. Cautiously he fallowed the noise, creeping along the narrow alleys between the tents, until he suddenly came to an open space. Men in long, billowing robes, and few others wearing pith helmets, were crowding around something that stood in the middle of this space in the shade of a large date palm. Some of them were waving their arms around; others were seemed to have been struck dumb. Ben thrust his way through the crowd until he could see what they were so exited about. Several cages, both large and small, stood under the palm tree. There were chickens in some of them, and another held an unhappy looking monkey. But the largest cage contained Sorrel. She had turned her back on the gaping humans, but Ben recognized her at once.

Lindsay perched at the top of a tree close by to the cages. She was in the form of a blue bird and was listening to the chatting of the humans. They were speaking a variety of different languages but she managed to piece together what they said.

"In my opinion it's a mutant monkey." Said a man with a big nose and receding chin. "No one can doubt it."

Lindsay had to stifle a giggle.

"I do doubt it, though, Professor Rosenberg." Said a tall, thin man.

The demon then caught site of a small human boy. A smile took over her face. She had recognized the caged brownie and had wondered where those other two were. Not much the dragon though, she wasn't interested in him, but the boy, and here he was.

"Love at first site." Lindsay sighed to herself. She wasn't paying much attention the men anymore until she heard that tall professor guy named right on the so called mutant monkey.

"is a brownie. A spotted forest brownie to be precise-which is surprising, since the species occurs chiefly in the highlands of Scotland."

"Smart human." Lindsay muttered.

The brownie seemed to have been listening for she pricked up her ears. Then that Rosenberg professor guy went into how his fellow professor who's name she now knew was Greenbloom was being ridiculous which was pretty typical for most human adults.

"In my view," replied professor Greenbloom. "it's the rest of you who are making fools of yourselves. A monkey! Oh, come on! Have you ever seen a monkey like that?"

Lindsay watched with amusement as the rest or the professors kept coming up with silly conclusions of the brownie and then to Twigleg. It went on for a few minutes until they all moved out to investigate some large foot prints leaving herself, the boy, and the caged up creatures alone.

"Sorrel!" the boy hissed. "Sorrel, it's me."

The brownie girl swung around in surprise. "And about time too!" she spat. "I thought you'd come until these revolting stinkhorns had stuffed me and put me in a museum."

"Okay, calm down." Said the boy investigating the lock of the cage. Lindsay then decided to jump out of the tree while transforming into her human body. The boy swung around in alarm and the brownie jerked her head up past the view of his shoulder. The demon smiled sweetly as she walked over toward them.

"Hi! Need any help?"

"W-who are you?" asked the boy.

"A sweet, innocent girl." The she replied. The girl was beside him now and you could tell she was just slightly taller then him. She turned her head to the cage next to Sorrel's.

"Hey Twigy!" she smiled.

The homunculus lifted his head from his hands in surprise then asked her. "Where have you been?"

"Up in the tree." She answered pointing behind her to the palm tree.

"All I saw in that tree was a bird." Sorrel said.

Lindsay smiled and replied. "That was me."

"You?" Ben and Sorrel both asked.

She nodded then gathered fire in her hands and gripped the bars of Twigleg's cage. In a matter of moments they melted in her hands. Extinguishing the flames she turned around to see Ben and Sorrel staring at her in amazement. Lindsay gave them a smile.

"We better hurry up if want to make it out of here." Twigleg said, braking the silence and making the brownie and human snap out of it.

"That would be a good idea." The demon agreed. "Cause I hear the adult humans coming this way."

Sorrel pricked up her own ears and confirmed Lindsay's statement.

"They're close. Just around the corner." Slight panic in her voice.

"I'll go stall them." The girl said before turning into a young leopard then sauntering over toward the sound of the humans.

Ben and Sorrel stared after her with wide eyes then quickly turned back to their problem, the bars blocking Sorrel to freedom.

"She could've melted this cage before leaving." The brownie huffed.

Still standing inside his cage, Twigleg tugged at Ben's sleeve to get his attention.

"Pick me up and hold me steady in front of the other lock, will you. I'll see what I can do for your bad-tempered brownie friend."

Sorrel gave him a nasty look.

"What's your name?" asked Ben curiously.

"Twigleg." Replied the manikin, putting his spindly fingers into the lock of the cage and closing his eyes.

"Twigleg." Muttered Sorrel. "Suits you."

"Could you please keep quiet?" Said Twigleg without opening his eyes. "I know brownies enjoy a good chatter, but this isn't the right moment."

Sorrel tightened her lips. Ben looked around. He could hear the voices but they were farther off now and were filled with fright and panic. A human formed Lindsay came walking around a tent rubbing her head.

"They threw a rock at me." she pouted as if they should have petted her inside.

Twigleg smiled with amusement, eyes still closed then said. "Nearly done it."

The lock clicked. Opening his eyes with a satisfied smile, he removed his fingers. Ben put him on his shoulder and opened Sorrel's cage. Muttering crossly, she jumped down into the sand.

"Twigleg," said Ben carrying the homunculus over to the sad monkey's cage, "could you pick this lock too?"

"If you like." Said the homunculus, setting to work.

"What's he doing?" hissed Sorrel. "Are you two crazy?"

"Keep your fur on." Lindsay said. "What's wrong with saving the poor little monkeys. We got time."

There was another click. Ben opened the cage door and the monkeys ran away rapidly.

"Come on, for goodness' sake!" complained Sorrel.

But Ben stopped to open the chickens' cage as well. Luckily they were only bolted and not locked. Perched on Ben's shoulder, Twigleg watched the boy with surprise. The voices were now coming closer.

"Almost through!" said Ben, opening the last cage.

"Run little chickens!" Cried Lindsay. "Be free!"

"How do we get out of hear?" asked Sorrel.

"Just fallow me." The demon said before taking off in the opposite directions the voices were coming from. Taking Sorrel's paw, Ben hauled her along after the strange girl. Thanks to Lindsay's distractions and Twigleg quickly steering them out of the camp they made it out without even getting spotted.

Not until they were a safe distance from the tents did they slow down, making their way tangled thorn-bushes and staying under cover. A few lizards scurried away in alarm when Sorrel, Ben, and Lindsay finally dropped to the ground, panting (aside from the demon girl who had quite a bit of stamina). Twigleg climbed out of Ben's hair and sat down on the sand beside the boy, looking pleased with himself.

"Well done." He said. "You three are quick on you feet. I could never have kept up. But I have a quick brain. A person can't have everything."

Sorrel sat up, breathing heavily, and looked down at him. "And you're not the faintest bit conceited either, are you?"

Twigleg just shrugged his narrow shoulders.

Lindsay stuck her chin up at her. "Well little miss sunshine, you seem to be a friendly ball of fur."

"Take no notice of her." Said Ben, peering through the branches. "She means no harm." There was no one in sight. Relieved, he let himself drop back onto the sand.

After a moment of silence Lindsay looked over to Ben and stood up, smiling.

"Name's Lindsay. What's yours?"

"Ben." He replied then indicated to the brownie. "She's Sorrel."

"Nice to meet you two." The demon said before plopping back down to the ground again.

"So how'd you and your impatient brownie friend get in that little situation anyway?" Twigleg asked.

"I'm right here you know." Sorrel snarled at him.

"I know." He replied indifferently.

Lindsay folded her hands behind her back and leaned closer to Ben.

"You think we could tag along?" she asked slyly, blushing a little.

The boy blinked as his own cheeks started to turn a soft red. He looked over to Sorrel then to the newcomers and answered.

"Sure."

The brownie girl sighed with irritation and rolled her eyes.


End file.
